by G. A. Aiken
Her father shook his head in confusion. “What are you talking about? I mean surprising because we all assumed the Northerners would simply try to take you rather than follow the usual rules of etiquette. That’s usually how they do things.” Baudwin sniffed. “Barbarians. The lot of them.” He nodded at his daughter. “That oldest one seemed much more civilized than his brethren. I assume it was his decision to put in the claim. I believe he truly likes you.”
“Well, I can read,” she said on a chuckle.
“Of course you can. You’re my daughter.” Her father glanced around impatiently. “Where do you think those two bickering ninnies went?”
“Drive you mad, did they?”
“Don’t misunderstand me, daughter. I will appreciate until my dying day their protection. Truth be told, I knew with all certainty they would kill anyone or anything that moved within a dragon’s tail of me. But the constant chatter—” He shuddered. “—it drove me to distraction.” Which was her father’s quiet way of saying if he could have killed them both…
“I should take Nightmare back anyway. I’ll get them and bring them back here.”
“Nightmare?”
She motioned to the horse. “Nightmare. My horse.”
Her father frowned. “You named your midmeal? Shalin, you know better than to—”
“No, no. He’s not…” she cleared her throat. “They don’t eat horses or dogs here, Daddy. They’re considered pets and working animals.”
Her father made a small gesture with his hands. “I can’t…they’re just…the entire Cadwaladr Clan simply confuses…”
Shalin kissed her father’s cheek. “I completely understand. And for that reason I won’t mention the puppy Ailean gave me.”
“Puppy?”
Shalin laughed. “I won’t be long.”
She walked off and Nightmare dutifully followed behind her. She led him back to the stables and to his stall. She made sure he had ample food and water. She rubbed her hand down his muzzle. “Now listen to me. I want you to let them feed you. Please. I have to go away and—” she swallowed “—and I won’t be back. So I need you to take care of yourself and to let them take care of you. I’ve already had a word with that stablemaster.”
Leaning forward, she kissed his muzzle and stepped back. “I’ll miss you.”
Then, before she did something horrifyingly human—like cry—she walked out the back door.
And right into Ailean.
Legs braced apart, arms folded over his chest, he stared down at her with one brow raised.
“They warned me you would simply try and leave and I didn’t believe them. But you were, weren’t you?”
Shalin sighed. “Don’t you think that’s for the best?”
“No, Shalin. I don’t.”
“I fear if my father sees us together, he’ll know. And we both agreed this would be kept between—where are you going?”
But she knew exactly where Ailean was going and what he most certainly planned to do.
Ailean could hear her charging up behind him, demanding he stop and talk to her. But he had nothing to say to her. He knew exactly what she’d been planning to do and it made him blindingly angry even to think about it.
So he marched on until he arrived at the clearing by the lake. The old brown dragon stood as human, staring up at one of the trees. He seemed to be studying the birds. Why anyone would do that was lost on Ailean, but at the moment he really didn’t care.
“Lord Baudwin?”
The older dragon turned, looked up at him, and took a hasty step back. “Ailean the Wicked? Gods. Did your mother perform spells before your hatching to get you that size?”
Ailean blinked. “Not that I know of.”
“You are simply gargantuan! I thought those twins you sent were big, but you…simply frightening.”
“Well—”
“How do you get around as human? Does no one question someone of your size lumbering around?”
“I don’t lumb—”
Shalin pushed her way between the two males. “Father, we have to go.”
“Where are those large fellows? Aren’t they coming?”
“No. We’ll go without them.”
“Like hell you will,” Ailean snapped.
“Don’t,” Shalin warned, “get in my way, Ailean.”
The old dragon glanced between the two. “Is there something I should know?”
“No!”
“Yes!”
Baudwin sighed. “Somehow I sense I won’t like this, will I?”
“I need to speak with you,” Shalin said softly before walking away from her father.
Ailean followed and when she felt they stood far enough away, she said, “What are you doing?”
“Don’t you know?”
“You have to know this is over. You must.”
“That unhappy with me?”
“Of course not.” She’d never been happier. But she had to be realistic as well. Passion and multiple climaxes did not a future make. And she had to think of her future. She had to stay on this path. “We both know I had a wonderful time here, but we also knew it would end.”
“Why does it have to end, Shalin?”
“You’re mad if you think I’ll become one of your regular trysts.”
“That’s not what I—”
“I go to see the queen and the Elders today to get their ruling,” she cut in. It horrified her when the thought of having any time with Ailean sounded better than none. The fact she’d sunk so low as to even consider spending her life as one of the females he regularly dropped in on when in certain towns made her stomach turn. She deserved better than that. “What happens from now on is no longer your concern. I appreciate everything you’ve done, and it will never be forgotten, but we both knew it couldn’t go any further. So please, don’t make this any harder than it has to be.”
She’d kept it direct and calm, never once raising her voice or losing her temper. Considering how angry she was, she felt extremely proud of herself.
Suddenly, Ailean asked, “Do you love me?”
Startled, Shalin took a quick step back. “What?”
“You heard me. Do you love me or not?”
“What kind of question is that?”
“A simple one. Yes or no, Shalin. Do you love me or not?”
She forced herself to remain perfectly calm, perfectly in control. “No.”
Ailean snorted. “You lying cow.”
“I beg your—”
“Fine. I’ll tell your father the truth myself.”
Shalin grabbed Ailean’s arm. “Don’t you dare!”
“I’ll make it quick,” he said casually. “I promise.”
He started walking, heading over to her unsuspecting father as well as the two males who’d been protecting him, Ailean’s brothers, and the twins who’d just arrived. A veritable audience!
“Ailean, I’m not joking!”
“Nor am I. I understand why you’re nervous. So I’ll handle it.”
It was his calm, casual tone. His relaxed nature. As if telling her father they’d been sharing a bed for days was something of no real concern.
Shalin jumped in front of him, slamming her hands against his chest. “You’re not understanding me, Ailean. You’re not to tell my father anything.”
He leaned forward a bit and whispered loudly, “Don’t you think he’ll notice?”
“Notice what?”
“That I’ve Claimed you as my own. He’ll definitely notice after the first hatchling.”
Somehow, she still managed to control her temper—but it was definitely getting harder to do so. “You won’t be Claiming me. Not you.”
“Why not me?”
“Do you really need me to give you a list?”
“A list?”
“Don’t yell, Ailean. Simply accept it.”
“Like hell I will. You love me, why won’t you just admit it?”
“And why won’t you admit I only w
anted one thing from you, I got it, and now I’m done?”
She saw it for only a moment, a flash deep in his eyes, the grim set of his mouth. She’d hurt him. But the part that wanted to soothe him, to see him smile again, she ruthlessly battered into submission. She’d shake this dragon from her tail even if she had to make him cry.
But Ailean didn’t cry. He didn’t argue. He did slightly flinch, but it was so small only she would have noticed it.
Without another word said between them, Ailean gently gripped her by the shoulders and moved her out of his way.
Shalin watched him walk over to her father and knew he’d ignore her wishes. Like everyone else, he assumed she’d be compliant. Adienna certainly thought so. She thought Shalin would quietly go off with enemy dragons to live in the North until she became ancient. And what made Shalin wince was the truth of it. Before Ailean and his brothers showed up, she had been taking the Northerner’s hand. Without a fuss, she would have gone with them even as her heart screamed for her to fight, to flee. To at least try to stop them.
So, perhaps it was no great surprise Ailean thought the same of her. Like everyone else, he thought she’d comply. Bend to his will for her “own good.”
To get what he wanted, he was willing to embarrass her in front of her father while his kin stood and watched. Then years later they could joke about weak little Shalin and how her futile protests were ignored. The pain of it ripped through her, leaving her shaken and angry. So angry, she could barely see or hear.
In that instant, something inside her snapped—and there’d be no going back now.
Ailean stood only a few feet away from the old dragon when Shalin suddenly stepped in front of him. The cold expression on her face surprised him. Wait. Not cold. Icy. An icy rage.
The instincts he’d honed in battle and war screamed at him to step away from her, but he didn’t understand why. This was his sweet Shalin. And she’d simply have to understand this would be better in the long run. They were meant to be together and there was no use in fighting it any longer. Besides, Ailean had no patience to wait for her to realize it.
Ailean reached for her to again move her out of his way and, hundreds of years later, he’d refer to this as “one of the stupidest things I’d ever done.”
In one fluid moment, as her father and his kin quickly scrambled out of the way, Shalin turned and her human body shifted to dragon. As she did, the razor-sharp tip of her tail lashed out and ripped across his human throat, slicing it from ear to ear.
Ailean’s hands wrapped around his neck and he dropped to his knees. Blood flowed between his fingers and dripped onto the forest floor.
“Shift, you fool!” Shalin’s father shouted. “Shift now!”
Ailean did, calling up the ancient spell and shifting right where he kneeled. His scales quickly covered his body, preventing him from bleeding to death right there.
As his body changed and tried to right itself, he watched Shalin motion to her father and take off from the clearing. Confusion on his face, the old dragon followed.
“Gods, Ailean!” His brothers stood on either side of him now in dragon form, trying to figure out the best way to help him while the twins tried to go after Shalin and most likely kill her in the air. But their mates held them back until Ailean, shaky from the loss of blood, stood.
He couldn’t speak, not with his vocal chords sliced in half and still trying to mend, so he motioned to the twins’ mates to follow Shalin and her father. To keep them safe. They understood and did as he bade. While his cousins continued to rant and swear blood oaths to Shalin’s death, Ailean placed his blood-covered claws on each of his brothers’ shoulders.
They’d grown up together. Fought together. Killed together. He didn’t need words for them. Never had.
They knew they’d be going after Shalin themselves.
And then, Ailean would settle all of this.
12
Shalin waited outside the queen’s meeting chamber. Soon she would have to enter and plead her case. Unfortunately, she really didn’t care.
“I’ll speak for you, Shalin.”
She shrugged. “As you wish.”
His claw brushed her cheek. “Look at me, daughter.”
She did, but she quickly tried to turn away, unable to bear his gaze. But her father’s other claw came up and gripped her other cheek.
“Do not turn from me.”
“I’m so sorry, Father.” Tears began to flow and she couldn’t stop them. “I know I’ve disappointed you.”
“Och! What is this? How have you disappointed me?”
“Ailean,” she said simply.
“Because you tried to kill him?”
“No.” Her tail nervously swished across the stone floor. “Because he and I…um…”
“You and he what?”
“I’d prefer not to spell it out, Father.” Although she had no doubts their story would become known throughout Dark Plains before the next full moon.
“Spell it…oh. Oh!” He absently patted her head before brushing nonexistent crumbs off his chest. “Yes. Of course you did, dear. You’re not made of stone and he is quite a virile specimen.”
Only her father could make it all sound so…medicinal. “And you’re not ashamed of me?”
“Ashamed of what?” He quickly combed his claws through his gray and brown hair. “What were we talking about again?” he asked. It wasn’t that he was confused, merely not interested. But when this was all over and settled, then he’d want to discuss it in complete detail and she didn’t look forward to it. Nothing was worse than her father turning to her after a day, a decade, or even a century, after something she’d thought had long gone away and suddenly demanding, “Wait. What just happened?”
Stepping back, he motioned to her eyes. “Dry those tears, little one. This queen detests weakness. And when you are called, come in with your head high. Understand?”
She nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“Good.”
“Baudwin the Brown,” one of the heralds called out.
Her father patted her cheek and gave her a quick smile before entering the meeting chamber.
Once his tail disappeared after him, Shalin took several soothing, calming breaths and wiped the tears from her eyes and cheeks with the backs of her claws.
Her father was right. She needed to get her emotions under control, but it would not be easy after that rage she’d let loose on Ailean. Unlike many of her brethren, Shalin kept her temper under control with a will of iron. In her mind, to show rage was the same as showing sadness, which meant showing weakness. She’d learned during her time at court that to show emotion of any kind merely gave Adienna what she needed to destroy those who crossed her.
Then Ailean came along and he had this uncanny ability to get all sorts of emotions out of her—irritation, affection, rage. Even worse—love.
“As lovely as I remember,” a voice said near her. She turned and blinked. It took her a moment to recognize him in dragon form, though the purple hair and scales were clear enough. But it was the eyes. Such a startling blue. Simply beautiful.
“Are you here to drag me away while I scream and cry?”
He laughed. “No, no, dragoness. That had been my father’s idea. He still follows the old ways. I have, however, come here today in the hopes of convincing you to come with me of your own free will.”
Now Shalin laughed. “I barely know you and you expect me to become your mate?”
“No. But I would love for you to come with me so I can show you my home. It’s a rugged land, but you’ll find more beauty there than any other place that you’ve seen.”
Shalin looked away. “And if I don’t come? There will be war amongst our people?”
The herald called to the dragon and, with a sigh, he headed toward the meeting chamber. “That I do not know. My brothers have different ways of dealing with females.” He glanced at her over his shoulder. “They may not stop until there is war.”
; He entered the chamber, and she watched his tail disappear inside. For the first time, she noticed that the tip wasn’t purple like the rest of him, but more like burnished silver. She sensed he sharpened it. Smooth and charming he might be, but a predator just the same.
Many long minutes passed until the herald returned. The green dragon stared at her. “Shalin the Gold. You have been summoned.”
Ahh, yes. The Gold. When you entered the royal meeting chamber, the name you had earned over time was stripped so no one was above another.
Knowing she’d have to face Adienna, Shalin briefly closed her eyes, refusing to panic. Then, she raised her head proudly and walked into the meeting chamber where they all waited.
Ailean and his brothers landed at the entrance of Devenallt Mountain. He allowed Bideven to lead the way, knowing his brother knew the world of politics better than he or Arranz. All three brothers were dressed in their battle armor, but that was for show and rank rather than actual fighting. Although he’d do whatever necessary to get what he wanted.
“This is the meeting chamber,” Bideven whispered.
With a nod, Ailean headed toward it.
“Ailean, wait. You can’t just go in there!”
A large green dragon, a herald most likely, stepped in front of the chamber’s entrance. Ailean grabbed him by the snout, yanked him away, and entered. As he’d been trained to do, he quickly took in everything around him so he could act accordingly.
The Elders sat on a dais built out of solid rock. The queen sat on a separate rock protrusion but hers was neither higher nor lower than the Elders. Although she was queen, the Elders still held great powers among the dragons of Dark Plains. Only during a time of war did the queen’s decisions outrank the Elders’, simply because they didn’t have the time to vote and debate when lives were in jeopardy.
On the far side of the chamber he saw one of the purple dragons who’d originally come for Shalin. A good, solid fighter and strong, he’d be a worthy opponent. But when it came to Shalin, Ailean would tear the purple beast apart scale by scale to keep her.
The bastard sat with an audience made up mostly of royals…and Adienna. The smugness on her face made Ailean want to rip off her head himself. But his main concern was Shalin.